View From His Back
by guyw1tn0nam3
Summary: After an ambush leaves Toph injured, Sokka is forced to guide his best friend and himself home, deal with the occasional highwayman, discover the intentions of their strange yet determined pursuer, and comfort a hurt Earthbender. KF Tokka Week 2012
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **So, for anyone who doesn't browse KF (KataangForever), there's actually an unofficial Tokka Week going on in the community. I've had a very difficult time coming up with any story ideas, but I think I have one now. Hopefully everyone enjoys it. I'll go back to Memories of a Final Adventure once this little short fic is done.

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><p><strong>Spar<strong>

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><p>Sokka grumbled something incoherently.<p>

Maybe it was because he was frustrated at the lack of meat in his knapsack dangling from his pocket. It could have also been because he had gotten up earlier than usual in the morning, and the morning grogginess had made him more irritable than usual. It could even be the sun that had been bearing down on his poor and fragile body for half of the day, his forehead now filled with sweat, his legs aching for a break, his arms flimsy and tired.

Or maybe it was because Toph was noisily chewing on the last dried seal jerky in her mouth, had aroused the Water Tribe warrior at the crack of dawn, and was now calmly resting on his back as Sokka carried her small figurine through the smoking hot canyon.

"Hurry it up Sokka," Toph waved her finger in random directions. "Why can't you find any shade around here?"

"I already told you," Sokka groaned. "It's noon and we're in the middle of an open, dry, and deserted canyon. Where are we going to find any shade around here?"

"What are we doing in a canyon in the first place?"

"Do I have to tell you again?"

"If it would hurt your pride like the last time," Toph announced with a smirk. "I wouldn't mind a repeat. It's your fault you're carrying me like this after all."

Sokka sighed loudly, puffed his cheeks, and thought about responding. There was no arguing with Toph, who seemed content in hanging bits of the delicious seal jerky over Sokka's eyes. Sokka couldn't tell if his eyes were now drenched in sweat or if tears had pooled at the edge of his pupils. Either way, the very sight of the meat left Sokka's mouth drooling, and he soon realized that if he didn't concentrate on the road instead of his stolen goods, he could soon die of dehydration.

They had come back to battlefield where Aang had fought Ozai, hoping to find Sokka's space sword and boomerang somewhere in the wreckage. Toph had been excited, but seemed to agree reluctantly, telling Sokka that perhaps it was not the best time to go after a space sword when there were things that Toph was trying to settle things with her parents. But a diplomatic Sokka soon quelled Toph, ensuring her that he would handle all of Toph's parental woes when they returned.

The two of them spent a few days searching for the sword without luck. They had spent days on a plateau where Sokka swore was where the space sword should have landed, and the two of them began to worry that they might return home empty handed.

What was worse was that Toph realized that they were being followed.

It had been years after the war, and the deadwood that had been burned away by Ozai's fleet had blossomed back into luscious green trees. While Toph would catch him occasionally meandering around the plateau for a better vision of Toph and Sokka, it was in these trees that their pursuer spent most of his time, safely hidden from Toph's vision. The man was unarmed for the most part, though Toph could feel the hints of perhaps a small dagger carried by most rich men for defense hidden away in his pockets. Toph waved off this man as nothing more than a perverted stalker, and gave it little thought.

They would simply deal with him once Sokka had his sword again. What was Toph going to do? Destroy a forest to attack one man? Call out to the trees and make herself look like a lunatic?

On a hot sunny day much like the one Sokka was currently suffering in, the two of them had been straying towards the edge of the plateau to once again take a look around for the space sword. It was at this point where their pursuer made a rustle in the trees.

"Toph!" Sokka screamed. "Look out, there's something in the trees!"

Sokka, having been shocked by the rustle and the apparent appearance of a strange stalker hiding in the trees, had tripped backwards, knocking himself into Toph. The full force of the crash was enough to send both of them off the edge of the plateau and rolled a steep cliff down to the bottom of the canyon.

Toph's Earthbending had been enough to save Sokka from any harm, but she hadn't reacted fast enough to take care of herself. When they had reached the bottom of the slope, Sokka realized that Toph was cradling her leg, crying out that it had been the biggest mistake of her life to help Sokka first.

"And that's where we stand," Sokka sighed again, feeling the weight on his shoulders getting heavier and heavier.

"You mean," Toph growled. "That's where you stand. I'm stuck on your back like some kind of helpless damsel. If it wasn't for your dumb reaction, I wouldn't have to worry about getting my leg checked by a doctor when we get home. And oh yeah, I wonder how we got here so quickly in the first place? Was it my Earthbending Sokka? I think it was my Earthbending."

"You could've told me that we had some person following us," Sokka smacked his forehead. "I thought he was some kind of Fire Nation assassin Combustion Man sent from the grave or something. How was I supposed to know anything?"

"Aren't you getting stealth training from Suki?"

"Yes. Why?"

Toph was silent.

"What?" Sokka took a look back at Toph, who was busy picking something in her nose.

"I think you need to stop fooling around in class." Toph said nonchalantly, and flicked whatever she found in her nostrils into Sokka's well-kept hair.

"Okay," Sokka cried out in anger. "That's it!"

Sokka knelt down and placed Toph on the ground. Toph, now unable to move due to her sprained tendons and broken bones, stared at Sokka with a look of confusion and irritation. Sokka took four steps away from Toph, then assumed a fighting stance.

"I've had enough of you making fun of me this entire time!" Sokka pouted, trying to look as threatening as possible. "I say we end this once and for all."

"Fight me Toph!"

Toph was silent again.

"Now it's my turn to say, 'what'," Toph imitated Sokka. "You put me down because you wanted to fight me?"

"Don't say that," Sokka laughed with an evil and near maniacal grin crawling on his face. "You know this was coming. Now let's go, let's fight!"

"I think you're missing something here. Let me point it out to you," Toph pointed her fingers at her legs. "I'm injured. Where's your sympathy?"

"I'll take care of you after I win!" Sokka charged. "Prepare yourself!"

"The heat must have gotten to you," Toph rolled her eyes and lied down on her back. She spread her arms and tapped the earth with her fingers. "I guess I have no choice."

Before Sokka could even get close to the blind Earthbender, the dirt beneath Sokka swirled, sucking the warrior into the ground and freezing him in place.

Toph sat up, pulled some uneaten seal jerky from her pocket, placed it in her mouth, and crawled toward Sokka.

"Now," Toph munched on the jerky. "If I give you this jerky, will you please be a good boy and walk this poor defenseless Earthbender home?"

Sokka, his face red with embarrassment, nodded slowly.

"Good," Toph held the jerky between her lips and leaned toward Sokka. "Take it from here then."

Sokka's mind was as frozen as his body was. Toph's lips were there, right in front of him, the meat dangling loosely from them. If he stretched out now to meet that luscious pile of meat, the greatest taste of all awaited his hungry stomach. But at the same time, there was a risk that Sokka would crash his lips head on into Toph's. How mad would Toph actually be? Would she bury him even further? Would she just leave him and crawl home all on his own?

"Hah!" Toph laughed. She pulled the jerky from her mouth and stuffed it into Sokka's mouth with an almost forceful punch. She raised him from the ground with her Earthbending. "Your face must be so confused I actually want to see it for once. Now hurry up and carry me. After you put me on the floor, I realized that the creeper is still following us."

As Sokka picked up Toph and slowly began to bite into the jerky in his mouth, he discovered two things.

The first was that the meat had an indescribable taste that he never tasted before in jerky.

The second was that he had never considered the possibility that Toph might have not blown him into the ground if he had kissed her and taken the meat from her inviting lips.

"But seriously," Toph's voice grew cold and icy. "If you had actually taken the meat from my mouth, we'd both be forced to crawl back home right now."

Sokka immediately removed the second discovery from his mind.

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><p><strong>AN**: See you guys tomorrow! Please read and review.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Here's the second chapter. The prompt is "redemption". I was a bit busy with a few things on my end yesterday, so this entry came a day late.

I'm aiming for this fic to be more humorous than some of the other stuff I'm working on. Anyhow, this scene is inspired from a particular anime scene. I'm confident not a lot of people immersed in the Avatar fandom will know, but who knows?

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><p><strong>Redemption<strong>

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><p>Sokka thought he could redeem himself for breaking Toph's legs if he took her to a local bar and sat down for a nice drink and chat.<p>

After the incident had happened, Sokka vowed to never to do anything of the sort again.

It had been three days since they left the canyon behind them, and the duo found themselves in a rundown town on their way back towards Gaoling. It was the kind of place people who had wanted posters of themselves glued to every wall of every city in the Earth Kingdom would want to hang out. The occasional law official was nothing more than an old deaf army officer who would hound at people and threaten people with his long lost dog.

A crash was heard in a nearby alley, and a voice yelled "Stop him Nyla!" A bandit burst from the alley in full sprint before being hit in the back by an elongated tongue. A large male shirshu appeared from the dark corridor, and a fairly young woman picked up the fallen criminal, tossed him over her back, and rode off into the sunset.

"She would be here," Sokka murmured.

"Where are we?" Toph turned her head, moving her ears accordingly to listen to the sounds around her. "I thought I just heard that really buff menacing woman brutally capturing a villain. Did you get lost again Sokka?"

"No," Sokka grunted. Toph for some reason had gotten heavier the last time he carried her. Puberty? Laziness? "I just thought that maybe we could go into town and get a nice drink or something. This was the closest town that I could find so I decided to check it out."

"So, again," Toph frowned. "Where are we exactly?"

The large roar of drunken strongmen burst from a nearby establishment, presumably a restaurant. They were fighting amongst themselves with all sorts of harmless weapons, causing a ruckus in the middle of the street. The bystanders that were watching them immediately cried "Yeah! Fight!" and joined in on the action. The street became a cacophony of noise, the clash of steel forks against glass bottles, the cries of dozens of uncivilized criminals, and the hoarse cries of an old man that his dog would put an end to all of them.

"Eh," Sokka scratched his head, laughing nervously. "How do I put it?"

"I don't even want to know," Toph heaved a sigh and blew a wisp of hair from her face. "At least the noise will keep me from falling asleep."

"Look at the bright side Toph," Sokka walked towards the restaurant the strongmen had come from. "For one, the creeper might be too scared to even follow us here. And second of all, this looks like a nice place to get some nice drinks. We're not in a hurry anyway. Let's have a look inside."

"Whatever," Toph leaned an arm on Sokka's neck, causing a quick remark of pain from her friend. "It's your pride at stake here, not me. I can't see anything."

"Hey," Sokka looked back at his Earthbending friend while pushing open the doors of the stone restaurant. "What do you mean by that?"

The bar was silent when Sokka walked in. All eyes turned to the odd sight of a young man carrying a lady on his back. The young man appeared tired, the type that has taken and tolerated constant complaints on a long journey home. There was only one sword strapped to his belt. The lady herself wasn't dressed elegantly, but anyone could tell that she was growing close to the perfect age for marriage. There were a few snickers, a few whistles, and Sokka had an idea why walking into a bar filled with dangerous criminals with an injured Toph on his back was a bad idea.

They seated themselves at one of the counter tables, and the bar resumed its usual conversation, having gotten over their strange feelings of the pair of newcomers. The bartender asked them for if they were interested in his special brews.

"Sure, but nothing too strong for me," Sokka said after a quick look around. The bar was small with tables placed in a haphazard fashion. The corners of the room were noticeably darker than the others, with suspicious looking fellows crowding around the four corners whispering to one another. "Maybe a little cactus juice. Maybe. Just something sweet and non-alcoholic for her though."

"I'd rather you not take any cactus juice considering what kind of situation we're in," Toph put her arm on the counter and rested her head on her hand. "I'm convinced that the people in here are already up to no good. You don't need good eyes like me to know that."

"And I thought you were going to complain about not getting any alcohol," Sokka chuckled.

"After seeing what happened to you in the desert?" Toph retorted, waving Sokka off. The bartender brought the drinks, and Toph took the first sip. "No way. I have no idea how you guys deal with that stuff, but it's pretty disgusting. I'm fine with anything sweet and sugary."

"Was I really that out of it?" Sokka asked.

"You said that I was on fire, you bowed down to a giant mushroom, and even after the cactus juice wore off you were still licking off anything that didn't seem dry."

"Oh," Sokka thought about it for a moment, then gave a Toph a grin. "Hey Toph. Are you sure I didn't call you on fire because I thought you were hot?"

A fist was thrown in his way, which Sokka managed to evade for once. Sokka noticed that Toph was reaching almost to the edge of her seat, her hurt legs preventing her from moving any further.

"Here are your drinks," the bartender passed two glasses to the two of them. "I'm sorry, but there might be a little more cactus juice in your drink. I forgot you're not from around these parts, and the cactus juice concentration is actually quite strong around here."

"Let's put it this way," Toph spoke, too loudly, ignoring the bartender's warning. She was irritated at the last comment, her cheeks flushing a pretty pink. She randomly grabbed a cup and took a sip. "I'd rather be courted by one of these lousy turds than be forced to endure the aftermath embarrassment of drinking cactus juice."

The whole bar grew quiet again, and turned to look at the outspoken Toph Bei Fong. Sokka's eyes scanned quickly to see a number of the biggest men had already stood up, their scars and manly tattoos etched all over their arms and faces. On a good day, Sokka wouldn't even be remotely worried. Toph could smack any of them all the way to Ba Sing Se with pinpoint accuracy.

But today Toph was injured, her legs immobile. Sokka only had a single sword that he had not practiced often with, and on top of that, was tired from days of carrying Toph across the Earth Kingdom.

Even Toph, who usually was so proud of her own abilities, gave Sokka a near apologetic look as the large scary bar customers started to surround them.

"I said something stupid didn't I?" she whispered. Her face started flushing even more unnecessarily red than before.

"Yep."

"There are really mean looking people crowding around us right?" Toph's face was now filled with sweat. Sokka instantly thought something was odd. Toph would never get so nervous over something like this.

"Yep."

"You're a little weakling that can't fight right?" Toph's lips curved into an unnatural smile.

"Ye-" Sokka stopped himself. "Hey!"

One of the largest looking cronies grabbed Sokka's shirt. His eyes glared at Sokka's with an air of viciousness. His breath was tainted with the rotten smell of decaying teeth and beer. His arms were large and muscular, the large gaping rips in his shirts proof of that. Sokka shut his eyes and looked away, awaiting the moment where a strong fist would clash against his cheeks.

But at that moment, Sokka could hear the heaving sighs of his best friend. Worried that perhaps the villains had attacked her first, Sokka opened his eyes, and moved his hands toward his concealed sword.

Instead, Sokka saw Toph, her eyes wide open, sweat flowing like a river down her face, her mouth wide open as if she wanted to say something important. Naturally, Sokka moved his eyes to the cup that Toph held in her hand, and realized that inside the glass was nothing more than the bartender's special brew mixed in with a good dosage of cactus juice.

"Oy," said Toph in between large breaths. "You guys. I think you guys forgot about someone."

The men turned their eyes to her, all of them confused at what she really meant.

"I said," Toph repeated slowly. "That. You. Guys. Forgot. About. Someone."

The earth underneath the establishment rumbled, and the customers all began eyeing each other nervously. Even the man gripping Sokka's shirt began loosening his fingers around the shirt's collar.

"You guys," Toph's laugh was quiet but filled with maniacal intent. She shook her head, placing her hands over eyes. When she uncovered her eyes, all Sokka could see were the eyes of someone who only knew pure mischief and trouble.

"How could you guys forget about your queen?" Toph asked innocently, her eyes widening in surprise.

The restaurant crumbled in seconds, its foundations ripped apart by Toph's Earthbending. Bricks shattered into dust, the stone columns holding up the ceiling toppled over, and the roof collapsed without any support, revealing the now night time sky. Sokka then realized that as the restaurant's foundations were being ripped apart, the floor upon which Sokka was standing was rising higher and higher into the sky.

Though her legs were broken, Sokka was quick to notice that Toph, while Sokka had been assaulted by the restaurant's denizen, had placed her hands into the floor of the establishment, and was now lying on the floor with her hands embedded in the earth and her legs scattered around on the floor while the entire building shook.

Toph had managed to raise the restaurant at least a hundred feet into the air with a massive pillar of earth, but she didn't look like she was done just yet. With her hands still in the stone floor, Toph summoned hundreds of columns of earth around her and the destroyed bar. She gave no care as the columns smashed through more houses, markets, restaurants, and street carts. They spiraled around Toph and the frightened customers of the bar like dragons circling their prey.

The man holding onto Sokka's shirt now completely let go, and ran with the others towards the edge of the restaurant, only to find out how high Toph had sent the place into the air. Sokka rushed over Toph's side, only to realize that she was paying him no heed, only focusing on controlling the earth that swirled around them.

Then in an instant, the pillars of earth came together and fell onto the edges of the main platform the restaurant was sitting on. With another swift move of her hands, the columns aligned with one another and connected, forming a pyramid in the middle of the rundown town. Another move of her fingers, and the edges of the pyramid flattened and turned into steps. The customers of the bar now sprinted rapidly down those exact same steps, crying out for their lives. Toph lied down at the top, cackling at her finished product.

"Listen up you good for nothing lily livers that will never amount to anything!" Toph called from the top of her pyramid, her hands still stuck in the group and her legs still strewn lazily over the floor. "How dare you people mess with my king and forget about me, the Melon Queen?"

_King?_ _Sokka thought._

The people in the town stared breathlessly at the pyramid that had been constructed on top of their homes and began shouting angry remarks from the bottom of the steps.

"What have you done!" shouted the bartender as he reached the bottom. "I even made my favorite drink that I give to my daughters for you!"

"Shut up!" Toph yelled back. "You're ugly, you're lying about your daughters, and I bet you were about to go bankrupt anyway!"

The bartender broke into tears and ran off.

"Now listen up the rest of you," Toph started again, still managing to yell coherently from the bottom of her lungs. "I'm not liking how no one in this town really knows me. I also don't like how you guys smell. In fact. I don't like any of you guys. I think the moon is a large cheese cake, and I think my legs feel a little bit strange"

"Now bow before me! The Melon Queen!"

It was ridiculous. Toph was ridiculous. Sokka was at her side, listening quietly and trying to slowly dig Toph's hand out of the stone floor without attracting her attention. Down below, everyone, too confused to attempt anything, seemed to take more time to bow than Toph would have liked.

"I said," Toph snarled. "To bow before the Melon Queen!"

Small boulders from the top of the pyramid rained down on the town, smashing into the streets and occasionally hitting the bystanders standing below. After the barrage had fallen and stopped, the townspeople immediately dropped to their knees and begged for mercy.

"That's more like it!" Toph turned to Sokka and cackled. "How was that Melon King! Shall we have a kid to celebrate our conquering of the kingdom? Was this not a splendid victory?"

"I think," Sokka pried Toph's right hand out of the soil, finally. "That you've had a little bit too much to drink, and that if we don't get out of here, we're going to be in some serious trouble."

"Ah!" Toph cried out. "My subjects! Preserve this temple in my honor! I am off! To our honeymoon, my dear!"

Toph fainted.

Sokka dug Toph's left hand out of the soil.

In the middle of the night, as the townspeople continued to pray forgiveness from Toph, Sokka placed Toph's limp and unconscious body on his back, and walked quietly into the night.

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><p>Toph awoke.<p>

Her head hurt, and it pained her to try to make sudden sounds from her throat.

She was blind again, and the up and down motions that she felt meant that she was once again riding on Sokka's back.

Vague memories flooded back into her head, and she recalled calling herself the Melon Lord, though everything after that became a blur. There was a lingering fear that Toph might have said something inappropriate and embarrassing, but exactly what continued to slip Toph's mind. She made a small sigh, and Sokka realized that his friend was awake.

"So you're awake?" Sokka spoke. His voice was warm, a much needed melody flowing into Toph's still ringing ears. "You've been asleep for a while, but I thought it'd be rude to wake you, especially after the effects that cactus juice had on you."

"How long have you been walking?" Toph suddenly realized that it seemed colder than usual. "Is it morning yet?"

"I've been walking all night so far," Sokka allowed himself a small yawn. "I was a bit scared the townspeople might come after you after what you did. So how was your first experience with alcohol? I'm assuming it was everything you ever dreamed of?"

"Horrible," Toph murmured, burying her face in Sokka's neck. "I'm never doing it again."

Sokka laughed and kept walking.

"I," Toph started, her voice uncertain. "I didn't say anything embarrassing did I?"

"Nope," Sokka answered immediately. It was a reassuring voice, and Toph trusted it. "Just some stuff about ruling the world, but that's about it."

"Good."

Toph sighed, happy that there was nothing she had said that had jeopardized her long stowed away feelings.

She rested her cheeks on Sokka's back, and fell back to sleep.

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><p><strong>AN**: So it turned out longer, but eh. It was nice I feel.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Here's the third chapter. Not much to say right now, but I seem to be falling behind on Tokka Week. It's probably just laziness, but hopefully I can catch up soon! I also need to read everyone's entries too, but I'm a bit preoccupied with a few other things as well.

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><p><strong>Endangerment<strong>

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><p>"He's still following us."<p>

"Who? You mean The Creeper?"

"Yeah. I felt him when you set me down for lunch. He's still keeping his distance, and he doesn't have any weapons on him. I'm a bit annoyed though. It'd be better if we just confront him now rather than later." Toph scratched her nose. "It's not like we'd have any problems catching. Also, I do like how we've made no attempt to find out who he is and have just proceeded to call him that name."

"I like the name though."

"Yeah, me too."

"Do we even feel threatened by this guy?"

"Not really."

"Want to pick a fight?"

"Not really. It's not like I'm in a position to fight anyone."

"Well, if I gave you some cactus jui-"

"No."

Toph swung her arms carelessly side to side over Sokka's neck. For once, Sokka wasn't complaining much about the heat, because a cold breeze was sweeping through the forest. In fact, it was Toph that groaned about serving as Sokka's warm outer coat while she suffered the chills crawling down her spine.

"Well, we could always…" Sokka suggested to himself, trailing off near the end as he looked at the evening sky through the forest's tree tops.

"Do I want to what?" Toph asked in return, leaning over Sokka's shoulders as if to try to hear him better.

"You know," Sokka grinned. "Set a trap for him."

"That," Toph widened her eyes as she looked up at the sky. "Had not occurred to me thus far."

"No way," Sokka laughed, rubbing his forehead. "You're always the one coming up with pranks and jokes to pull on people. There's no way that you forgot this time. Now spill. I bet you have some epic heist that we're going to pull on this guy. Come on. I'm all ears."

"I'm serious," Toph pouted, looking disappointed at herself. "I actually didn't consider it this time. Maybe it's because…"

Toph wandered off in thought, her words becoming jumbled mumbles and incoherent whispers. Sokka was surprised. He had not thought that it was within Toph to actually forget something as simple as laying a trap for the occasional intruder. "Maybe it's because what?" Sokka asked as he carefully stepped over a shallow creek.

"Well," Toph shrugged. "Maybe it's because I'm hurt and all. I can't really have a lot of fun when my legs are all messed up and broken." Toph tried shaking her legs, only to feel a wince of pain.

Sokka continued to cross the creek slowly and carefully, while giving thought to Toph's words. It had just registered in his mind that for all the time that Toph had spent on his back, she had perhaps forgotten what it felt like to see on her own. It was different from when Toph had her feet burnt, or was stuck in a metal cage, or imprisoned by Combustion Man. This was the first time that Toph had to go long hours riding on Sokka's back, with only minutes and tiny intervals resting on the floor to take in the whole world around her again.

"We're entering the forest now!" Sokka would say, and Toph would simply acknowledge that they were doing so, without any real way to confirm that what Sokka was saying was true.

She must have wanted to have fun. She must have wanted to do something risky. Sokka felt a little ashamed that he was a reason why she was like this, bored with nothing better to do than to fiddle with his hair and pick at her nose.

She was relying on him, Sokka realized, and that's why she didn't think of executing any sort of prank. It was because she couldn't really do one if it was just by herself, and she probably thought it was already too much of a load on Sokka for carrying her around in the first place anyway.

For some strange reason, Sokka wanted to prove that it wasn't that much of a burden.

"Hey Toph?" Sokka looked back at the Blind Bandit with a smile.

"Yeah?" Toph took a deep breath and exhaled, sounding bored.

"Let's do something dangerous for once?"

Her face lit up with a fire and excitement that he hadn't seen in a week, and Sokka told himself that it was all worth it.

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><p>They hid themselves in the foliage after Toph confirmed that their pursuer was close by. Their plan was really simple. Wait for the pursuer to get lost and confused, track him down with Toph's Earthbending, and then fling Toph at the pursuer to let the two settle their differences between man and manly woman.<p>

Toph had initially raised her eye at the idea, but Sokka assured her that his aim was perfect, reminding him of all the times his boomerang had saved the two during the war. "I'm not liking where you're going with this idea of yours," Toph folded her arms, but smiled and nodded her head in approval. "But you come up with the most fun ideas when you're being your dumb ol' self."

So they waited, with Toph occasionally telling Sokka where the pursuer was roaming, looking for a view of the people he had been chasing for the last week now. They leaned, their backs against each other as the night passed on. There was nothing that the two of them heard other than Toph's frequent updates on The Creeper and their snickers whenever their chaser came closer.

"Are you confident about your throwing arm?" Toph asked all of a sudden. "What if you miss?"

"I won't!" Sokka chuckled to himself. "This the perfect trap. I guarantee you. Once you hit him, just knock him out with your punches. They hurt you know? I can't even count all the bruises I've gotten from you with both my hands."

"If this plan fails horribly and I end up hurting myself even more," Toph whispered fiercely. "I'm going to add another one of those bruises to your list."

"It's how you show affection right?" Sokka pointed out, then laughed to himself. "Maybe you should just hit me more and more then. Shower me with affections?"

Sokka felt a hard knuckle hit the back of his head and his right rib. He yelped and grabbed both places at once. "Okay, okay," Sokka winced at a pouting Toph. "I get it, I get it. Maybe I shouldn't tease you like that."

"Oh, oh!" Toph ignored Sokka and sat up straighter, looking excited. "He's here, he's here!"

The rustling of leaves near them signaled that what Toph had said was true. The shadow of a medium sized man came into view under the moonlight that had seeped through the forest canopy. It was still too dark to discern the man's face, but from the small light that was available, he wore the clothes of a rich aristocrat, had a decently slim body, and walked with the grace of nobles.

"He seems like a rich guy," Sokka whispered to Toph, who didn't respond right away. "Kind of like a bachelor of sorts. Why the heck would some rich bum like him be trying to follow us around like that?"

"Who knows? But who cares?" Toph was quick to change the subject. "Now hurry up. Throw me. I've been waiting for a chance like this for the last week. I haven't beaten up anyone in a while, and I think it's time I test my bare strength."

Sokka couldn't say no, so he grabbed Toph by the waist and hoisted her up.

"Hmm," Sokka noted. "You have a very slim waist, now that I'm holding you like this."

"That's something weird to say at a time like this," Toph turned her face down. "What happened to throw me?"

"Oh," Sokka realized he had been momentarily distracted. "Yeah, yeah. Here we go!"

Sokka held Toph over his head, noted how funny the two of them must have looked, and gave a loud battle cry before flinging Toph at the dark shadow in front of them.

It all happened in a second. Sokka's throw was indeed spot on, but his battle cry had alerted The Creeper of their presence. Knowing that he was in eminent danger, he quickly dived to the side as a yelling Toph raced towards him. As the man leapt out of harm's way, Toph's head smacked straight against the trunk of a tree behind where The Creeper had just been standing.

Sokka ended his battle cry in midsentence and rushed to Toph's side as their pursuer burst out of sight and into the forest.

Toph was unconscious again, and Sokka smacked his forehead.

"Ah that's what was wrong with my plan," Sokka groaned. "Toph can't even see where she's going."

Sokka assumed that it might be dangerous sticking around with Toph unconscious and their chaser too close to them. So with his heart refilled with guilt, he picked up Toph, placed her on his back, and took off into the night. Sokka sighed.

"I'm so not looking forward to her waking up again."

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><p><strong>AN**: I think this fic allows me to experiment with random ideas that might or might not be funny.

Hope you guys enjoyed this! I'll try to catch up with the rest of Tokka week soon. ^^


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Here's the fourth chapter. Read and enjoy! ^^

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><p><strong>Sabotage<strong>

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><p>When Toph awoke, she found herself lying on something hairy and distinctly not Sokka. Whatever it was, its head was bobbing up and down as it went, and its feet made loud noises as it smacked against the gravel. Toph's legs touched the creature's furry sides and she found herself sitting on a nice linen cloth.<p>

"So how do you like our ostrich horse?" Sokka's voice came into her ears. "Pretty good right?"

Toph rubbed her head, reminding her that last night she had been thrown viciously at The Creeper, only to knock her face into something hard and wooden. She had lost conscious after that, but she did remember telling herself to viciously give Sokka a beating when she did wake up.

"Where are you?" Toph demanded, her fists barred and ready. "I think you and I have some unfinished business Sokka."

"Nope," Sokka's voice came back at her. "You need your rest Toph. You shouldn't be too eager to get into a fight after what happened yesterday."

"Yeah," Toph snarled. "And who do I have to blame for that? Where in the Earth Kingdom did you even get an ostrich horse? I don't remember being near any towns."

"I bought one this morning. You were still unconscious, so I used that to my advantage," Sokka's voice trailed off as he finished the last part. Something about his story seemed mildly suspicious, and it stemmed from the fact that Toph's unconscious body had been used to Sokka's advantage.

"Go on," Toph drawled, rubbing her head again as a fit of pain entered her skull. She touched her forehead too, finding a bandage wrapped around it. "I'm so eager to find out how you abused me while I was asleep. Please don't tell me you signed me into slavery or something while I couldn't defend myself."

"Oh, that's not even it," Sokka's voice could barely contain his excitement. "So apparently there are a number of caravans filled with filthy rich merchants that run on some road around here. A lot of them have a lot of baggage, so they use ostrich horses to carry a lot of the burden."

"Well, it just so happens that you're in the Bei Fong family," Sokka chuckled, though clearly more nervous than before. "So I decided to ask some merchants to loan me an ostrich horse for future benefits and trade deals with your family."

"You're screwing with my family's money and you're not even part of the family?" Toph almost screamed, before realizing that she didn't really care all that much about her family's expenses. "Well, I guess that's okay, since I'm not the one dealing with all those problems."

"Well," Sokka scratched his head and laughed. "I didn't really say you were a Bei Fong. I knew we might be in a bit of trouble if people knew you were Toph Bei Fong. There were quite a few scary people on the road that I wasn't willing to barter with. So I just made a name on the spot and said that you had connections to the Bei Fong family that you could use and exploit."

"Oh," Toph thought about it for a moment. It was a sensible approach, one that would mask her identity and also rid them of any obligation to pay back the loan, and in return getting an ostrich horse for no cost at all. She turned back to Sokka. "So? What name did you use? It better be a good name. A lot of merchants these days hire mercenaries when they get ripped off."

Sokka was quiet, his cheeks flushing red.

"Fong Bei."

Toph burst out laughing. "Toph Fong Bei? What kind of idiot actually falls for that? Sokka, I would get mad at you for potentially putting us in danger, but I gotta admit that it's more funny than dangerous at this point."

"Well," Sokka threw his hands up in the air. "Some people actually did okay? So now we have an ostrich horse that you can ride on for our trip home."

"Are you sick of me riding on you all the way home?"

"I just thought it'd be more efficient if I wasn't getting tired all the time," Sokka shrugged. "Besides, I think that The Creeper is still around, so we might as well be prepared for whatever happens."

"Good point," Toph smirked. "Or is it because you knew I'd be mad at you when I woke up and you didn't want me riding on your back while I was angry?"

"That too," Sokka nodded in agreement. "Look, I'm sorry the plan didn't really work out as intended."

"As intended?" Toph raised an eyebrow. "I smacked my head into a tree, fell unconscious, potentially risked my family name, lied to a group of merchants who may or may not have deep connections with mercenaries that will be all too happy to hunt us down, and now I'm stuck on some horse where I can't even throw punches at you without falling off."

"Okay, so maybe the plan failed horribly," Sokka put his hands up in defeat. "But I'm sorry, and I hope I can make it up to you with this sacrificial horse as witness. I mean, I got this horse for you, didn't I? And that nice green cloth? I got it for you so you wouldn't feel too uncomfortable on the horse. I even got some extra horse feed in case he got hungry. Oh, and the new water skins, you're going to love them! They had this buy one get one free deal that I couldn't even resist. And look at this, Toph! The water skins! They have an additional pouch, and guess what it's for? That's right, tea leaves. Oh man, that was such a sweet deal!"

Sokka continued to ramble for a while as Toph listened. For all the pain that she was experiencing in her forehead and the bottom half of her body, listening to those rambles was fun. It was definitely more fun than lounging around looking for swords or staying home.

Still, while Sokka continued to walk and Toph laid down grudgingly on the ostrich horse's back, there felt like something was undoubtedly missing. The horse was walking at a decent pace, different from Sokka's wobbly footsteps as he tried to maintain his hold on Toph while they walked through the blistering heat. The nice cloth did feel nice when she sat on it, different from Sokka's back that covered Toph in smelly drips of sweat. Even the horse smelled better than Sokka, its warm surface recently cleaned with soap and shampoo.

She could lie down on this horse, sleep on it, and it wouldn't complain. She could beat its back and it would go faster, not turn around and frown. She could yell at it for hours about all of her problems back home and it would never tell her to stop.

So why was she frustrating having to sit on this horse and not on Sokka's back?

And it wasn't just her anger at not being able to sit on Sokka's back. Sokka's eyes were always forward, to Toph's home, never considering why Toph had always slowed Sokka down, forced them to stay for a little while longer in places that Sokka would have been happier leaving.

These were the feelings that Toph couldn't shake off, and the only way she could forget about it was to pull out a quirky comment and hope that her feelings would go away.

"You just bought it because you liked it didn't you," Toph frowned to herself. "None of it was actually for me?"

"Yeah pretty much," Sokka grinned.

* * *

><p>They went to sleep that night rather late. Sokka laid out all of Toph's new beddings and carried Toph to her sheets after they had finished eating some cooked beans from dinner. Sokka grumbled that Toph still needed to pay for all of that seal jerky that she had eaten, but was content that they still had food after having not been in a town with a market in the last week. After he had tucked Toph into bed, he touched her forehead with his hand to ensure that she hadn't run a fever during the day. Content that he hadn't, Sokka quickly stole away to his own sheets and promptly fell asleep.<p>

That had been the ritual that Toph had experienced in the last week. Sokka had taken meticulous care of her, never forgetting that Toph was injured and always helping her manage what Toph could have honestly managed on her own. Toph had at first told him that all she needed was her own earth tent and the hard floor to sleep on. But after constant pressing, Toph sighed and gave in, knowing that if he had to, Sokka would have ripped down Toph's tent just to give her an extra sheet.

It was kind on his part, but there was always something telling Toph that she should tell Sokka to stop being so kind.

She thought about the subject for a while, her body comfortably warm in her sheets and near the campfire that they had set for themselves.

The ostrich horse was tied to a nearby tree. It had decided to lay down for the night and was preparing to sleep as well. It pecked at the feed pack close to the tree, hoping for a final midnight sleep before resting.

Suddenly, it whinnied. Toph, feeling the earth, knew why. Toph had told Sokka that sleeping close to the main road was dangerous as there were bound to be robbers close by. Sokka hadn't listened, being the tired knucklehead that he was, and argued that it would be easier to get home quicker if they could find the main road in the morning.

Now, Sokka was fast asleep, and Toph could feel the footsteps of a highwayman marching toward their ostrich horse, a small knife in hand. As he got close, he brought forth his knife and began sawing away at the rope tying the ostrich horse to the tree trunk.

She could stop him easily, Toph realized. Her hands were close enough to the earth to send him flying at least a hundred feet in the air. Or she could sink him a few feet into the ground. Or she could toy with him and summon life sized statues of herself that would run and flail at him.

So why didn't she doing anything? Sokka was sound asleep, but Toph was wide awake in the midst of her thoughts.

She would later realize why didn't stop the highwayman later that night, but when she did she couldn't have done anything anyway.

"Hey, where did the Beaky go?" Sokka's eyes widened the next morning, noticing the cut rope. "You don't think an ostrich horse can cut rope right?"

"Who knows," Toph shrugged as she awoke, still groggy. "Does that mean we have to abandon all these new beddings you got for us?"

"Yes!" Sokka cried out. "Look how nice all of these designs are!"

"Yes!" Toph agreed, poking at her sheets. "These are nice designs indeed!"

"Right?" Sokka sighed, before turning to Toph quickly, his face a mix of fear and anxiety. "Wait, does that mean I'm carrying you again now?"

Toph would only grin.

That day, Toph was stuck on Sokka's back in one of the hottest days she could remember. The sweat from Sokka's back was nearly unbearable, and both she and Sokka complained about it for hours. Toph's arms grew numb by the end of the day, and every time she tried sleeping like she had on Beaky, she found herself sleeping on Sokka's slippery and sticky neck. After admitting that there was no possible way for her to get a good day's rest, she proceeded to hitting Sokka and complaining like she used to.

Sokka bore with it all, because for some reason, even through all of the harassment that he had to endure, all of Toph's complaints and flailing punches came with a strange and relieved smile that couldn't help but crawl onto her face.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Here's chapter five! I know I'm late, but chronic laziness is pretty hard to overcome. Enjoy.

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><p><strong>Ecstasy<strong>

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><p><em>Three Weeks Ago<em>

"Next!"

"Toph, you've rejected each and every one today. At least give them a proper conversation afterwards instead of this!"

"Nope. Besides, it's only the middle of afternoon. Maybe if we're lucky, we'll find one that can last more than thirty seconds! Who's next?"

The boy rolled up from the floor, his shirt stained with dirt. His eyes blazed like fire, but Katara noticed that it wasn't anger that burned in his pupils, but enthusiasm. He was beaten, destroyed, completely outmatched by the Blind Bandit. But his defeat had given him motivation, and as another kid walked into the ring, he went to the back of a long line to wait his next turn.

As the next young man entered the stage, Toph shifted her feet to get a good look at him. He was lanky, just like half of the kids that had come to her proving grounds. His back was hunched over, as if he was leaning forward to get a good glimpse of Toph. His stance was horrid, and from comparing the weight of his clothes with the clothes of others in the line, Toph could tell that he was far richer than most.

"State your name." Toph narrowed her eyes.

"Hmph!" the boy looked back at Toph with a smirk. "I am the fourth head of the Xi family-"

"Blah, blah, blah," Toph waved her hands dismissively. "Enough with the honorifics and tell me your name already. You're the kind of person I just want to get over with before I hurt any rich boy's feelings. Now hurry it up. I don't have all day."

"My name," the boy scowled, though his smile returned quickly. "Is Weilin. I guess you could say you're lucky to mee-"

Weilin never got to finish his sentence. The ground shook beneath Weilin and before he knew it, the son of the wealthy Xi family had been catapulted out of the ring and to the back of line. He landed hard on the floor, unconscious, as a maid from his family quickly went to his side and began wiping ointments all over his body.

"Oh come on," Toph yelled. "I've been looking all day for students that I want to teach Earthbending to, and you silly logs think your paltry skills impress me? You're going to have to work a lot harder if you want the Avatar's teacher accepting your proposals. You're all dismissed. Tomorrow better blow me away."

Toph sighed. Everyone, looking determined despite Toph's rejection streamed out of the compound, the guards of the Toph Bei Fong estate keeping a close eye on anyone who might trample flowers or steal anything on their way out the door. The Blind Bandit returned to the front porch of her own home and sat next to Katara, who put a comforting hand on her hand and smiled.

"You could probably find promising students if you didn't challenge them to an Earthbending fight," Katara rubbed Toph's hair. "Aang beating you was more of a fluke than anything. You didn't even know that he was an Airbender. How do you expect any of these Earthbending students to beat you?"

"It's not just that," Toph brought her knees closer to her. "It's just that these days are kind of boring. My parents gave me the option of opening up my own school if I wanted to, and it sounds great. But at the same time, I feel like something is missing. Earthbending is about being active, eating dirt, and the adrenaline that comes from it. It's not like Waterbending Katara, which suits your prettiness better."

"Somehow, I don't think that's a compliment in this case."

"Eh, I don't think you'd understand that well, Katara," Toph motioned for Katara to lift her hand. She stood and walked towards her house. "It's just that there needs to be excitement when I train an Earthbender. I think I'd die if I just sat around teaching the basics forever. It worked for Aang, but that was because I was always seeing new things and travelling the world. If I'm going to open up a school and just stay in one place, you'd damn give me a good reason to teach you. Anyway, I need to go talk to my parents."

Toph stepped inside and headed down a daunting hallway towards the living room. Though she had come to terms with her parents, facing them had never gotten easier. There was a slight reluctance, as if Toph's parents were always expecting something else for their daughter. It didn't bother Toph, as she loved doing what she loved doing, yet there was a slight note in her conscious telling her that she still longed for her parent's acceptance.

When she had reached the living room, Poppy Bei Fong was the first to greet her. "Toph! You look so dirty, why don't you go take a bath before you come back?"

"It's okay," Toph shook her head. "Didn't dad want to talk to me?"

"Yes," Lao Bei Fong sat on the couch on the opposite side of the room. His forehead was creased, his cheeks wrinkled. The time away from his daughter had caused him much stressed, and the head of a massive trading company looked much older than he did a year ago. "Toph, your mother and I agreed that we would allow you more freedoms as a war hero. You made the Bei Fong family very proud."

"With that being said," Lao sighed before continuing. "You've been using these days in and out looking for Earthbending students, which is fine since we even built you a school for this purpose. But I think you should start seriously considering a potential suitor. I know it's young, but perhaps getting a choice early will give you time to like him."

"You found someone didn't you?" Toph raised an eyebrow at her father. "There's no other reason you wouldn't bring this up."

Lao heaved another sigh. "I can never keep things, even from my own daughter. Come out Gong."

At this moment, Toph felt the footsteps of a young man enter through the doorway. He was about as skinny as Weilin had been, but he was clearly older. There was a defined posture about him, a clear sign of his trained nobility. He stood straight, tall, composed, as if he had been trained for this very day to propose to a girl from the Bei Fong household. He gave a quick smile to Toph before coming forth and exchanging pleasantries with Toph's father.

"Toph," Lao introduced the man. "This is Gong. I made deals, and I believe that you two might suit each other if you perhaps got to know each other better."

"I'll be the judge of that," Toph crossed her arms and walked up to Gong. Her eyes were defiant and challenging. "Gong. Are you an Earthbender?"

"Yes," was his reply.

"Would you be willing to fight with me every single day?"

"If we're husband and wife," Gong gasped. "Why would we be fighting."

"Good," Toph rolled her eyes. "So we're never going to fight?"

"Of course not," Gong gave her a loving smile, clearly not understanding her sarcasm.

"So we'll never be fun?"

"Of course," Gong reasoned. "You'll easily be able to go to tea parties with your friend."

_This guy must have been trained by the wrong teacher_, _Toph thought_.

"What does Earthbending mean to you?"

"It means," Gong put his hand on his chin, trying to come up with some intellectual answer. "A primal power that must be controlled and managed before it can be put to good use."

"What an excellent answer," Toph put her hand to her mouth, acting impressed. "Now here's the next question, what does adrenaline mean to you?"

"We're high class citizens Miss Bei Fong," Gong bowed. "We don't engage in activities that ever put us in such state."

"What does ecstasy mean then?" Toph asked again, intrigued at what kind of inappropriate answer the man was going to say next.

"Like I said Miss Bei Fong," Gong smiled and reached for her hand, thinking he had won. "I'm a man of control and tranquility. I will never let myself do such things to you."

Toph laughed hysterically.

"Oh you're the worst," Toph wiped the tears from her eyes and held her hands in an Earthbending form. "Sorry Gong, but if I had a choice between one of those dirty lanky uptight Earthbending boys and you, I'd have to say that I have to choose of one of them. Dad, there's no way I'm letting this fool have anything to do with me."

"What?" Gong jolted back. "What did I do wrong? I answered everything appropriately haven't I?"

"No," Toph replied. "No you didn't."

With a column of earth, Gong was sent flying out of the house and onto the front porch, where he collided with a flower pot and fell silent.

"And that's the end of negotiations," Toph looked back at her father, who gazed at her disapprovingly. "Hey. If you want me to marry, at least find me someone appropriate."

Toph walked out, unable to notice the eyes of disdain that crawled onto Gong's face.

* * *

><p>"He's still following us," Sokka sighed. "And I don't even know why."<p>

Toph shifted uncomfortably in her position on Sokka's back. She put her head down and closed her eyes.

"Toph," Sokka looked back at the girl lying on his spine. "Do you honestly have no idea who he is? I mean, he's dressed like a rich guy. And…you're a rich girl, from a rich family. Doesn't that have any connections at least?"

She didn't answer.

"Must be asleep," Sokka shrugged. "Guess I won't bother her too much about it now."

Toph's eyes were wide open as Sokka said that, and her heart strained at the guilt from not telling Sokka who their pursuer was.

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><p><strong>AN**: It's short, but I think it's important nonetheless. Read and review guys! Thank you for reading. ^^


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **We're almost there! I'm not sure how long chapter 6 will be, but chapter 7 is for sure going to be short and sweet. Enjoy! I just got my laptop back up and running after my hard drive failed, so here we go.

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><p><strong>Shiver<strong>

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><p>It rained for the first time since they began the long road home.<p>

Gaoling was just over the next few grassy hilltops, obscured by a fog that had drifted down from above. Toph had decided that since it was raining harder than she had expected at this time of year that she and Sokka camp out for another day before they arrived home.

Droplets of water splashed against the thin earth tent over them. Toph had left one side of her earth tent open, and from inside the two of them could feel a chilly breeze blowing over the hills. The rain fell harder, slamming on the floor like a swarm of needles.

"Man, of all the times to rain," Sokka wiped his face with a towel. He took a look at the darkening sky, the only sign in the cloudy mist of the time of day. "And we were so close."

"It's refreshing at least," Toph shrugged. Sokka tossed his towel over to Toph, who used it to wipe her wet legs.

"Is he still following us in this weather?"

Neither Sokka nor Toph needed to say a word. They already knew the answer.

"Well, it's fine," Sokka sighed. "Once you're back home, you can tell your parents. I'm sure they'll be happy to send the Earth King's armies at him."

"You don't think I'd be enough?" Toph raised an eyebrow, a smirk crossing her face. "Or do we need another beef jerky lesson?"

They laughed it off, and Sokka brought out what was left of their beddings after they abandoned them on the side of a road. He had made sure to keep Toph's pillows and sheets and kept only a few things for himself.

Afterwards, he brought out a few rations that he had managed to bargain for with passing by merchants. "I have some raw jerky and some stuff to make soup with," Sokka murmured, then looked at the damp floor around them. "Not much to make fire with though."

"Hey Sokka," Toph tossed the towel over her drenched hair and left it there. Sokka turned away from the food and back towards the Blind Bandit. She bit her lip, as if she wanted to hold back on what she was about to say. "What would you say if I told you I wanted you to take me anywhere but home?"

Sokka drew closer to Toph. It was getting cold and having a damp towel on her head wasn't helping. He replaced the towel with one of the bed sheets he had previously laid out on the floor. A flash of lightning could be seen outside, illuminating a sky that was growing darker and darker. Seconds later, thunder roared like a lion turtle over the hills, pounding the earth with its majestic boom. Toph didn't even shake, but instead waited for Sokka to answer.

"Why are you asking that now?" Sokka asked. "When we've already gotten this far?"

"No real reason," Toph threw herself on her back and stared up at the ceiling of her tent. Her eyes, though dark and never seeing, seemed distant, staring at something above the ceiling. "I just wanted to know what you would've thought about it. That's all. I'm guessing that's a no from you?"

"Your leg hasn't healed yet," Sokka scratched the back of his head. "And it'll be kind of hard to carry you if this weather keeps up anyway. Why wouldn't you want to go home first and rest up? We can do a ton of adventures after that."

"My parents probably won't let me out again with you after they see what you've done to me," Toph winked, pointing at her two legs. "I'm not really sure we'd have a lot of chances again if we just go back."

"Just sneak out," Sokka quipped.

"If only it were that easy," Toph closed her eyes and sighed. "That would make life so great."

Sokka turned back to the opening of the earth tent, contemplating what Toph had just said. "You have problems with your family?" Sokka asked out of the blue. It was the first and only reason that he could think as to why Toph wouldn't want to go home.

"My, my," Toph grinned, sitting up. "Aren't you perceptive today?"

"Well," Sokka laughed. "After someone sits on your back for a week or two, you kind of get to know them in a more intimate way then you knew before."

"I don't remember us doing anything of the sort," Toph put a finger on her chin, her smile a devious one. "Are you sure I didn't do anything inappropriate when I was out cold from all that cactus juice drinking? Something Suki might not appreciate?"

"You said some pretty gross stuff, that's all I can remember at least," Sokka shrugged, and pulled his own covers from a few bags lying on the floor. "It's the kind of weird stuff you would say to make someone shiver from head to toe."

They crawled under their sheets, sticking close to each other to preserve the precious warmth that they held in their bodies. Outside, the rain refused to stop and pounded the roof above them. Toph raised a wall in front of the entrance, and their tent became completely dark.

Sokka and Toph lied in this position until they had lost track of the time. The loud crack of thunder and the pounding of the storm kept them awake, and their minds drifted. The journey. The Creeper. The drinks. It seemed amusing to think of all the strange things that had happened simply because Toph had broken her legs. Sokka had always thought that getting back to Gaoling as quickly as possible would be the best course of action. A doctor could see Toph, she would get fixed, and they might even get to go back and search for Sokka's sword and boomerang.

But it only took a little more thought to realize that getting home would only mean that their journey would come to a swift end.

"I'll deal with your parents after all of this," Sokka had told Toph before he had taken her on this wild goose chase. What was he supposed to say now, when he returned with a daughter not only blind but needing to lie on her best friend's back for the duration of the trip?

Their tent grew damper and colder and the two of them unconsciously found themselves touching shoulder to shoulder to warm themselves up.

"Just a little bit longer," whispered a voice behind Sokka. "Not yet."

When the Water Tribe boy turned, Toph was sound asleep, her hands folded next to her cheek. Her soft delicate breathing was almost inaudible over the tempest outside. She shivered ever slightly.

"Well," Sokka shrugged, sitting up. "I'm not that sleepy anyway."

He draped his sheets over Toph's body and waited for the rain to stop.

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><p>The rain stopped the next day, and Toph and Sokka prepared for their last day on the journey.<p>

"Ready to face your parents?" Sokka asked, bending down to pick up Toph.

"I'd like to ask you the same question," Toph replied. "I wonder what they're going to do to you after they find out what you've done to my legs. You do know that you're a guy right?"

"I don't need you reminding me," Sokka sighed. "Well, whatever, we'll have to face them one way or another. Let's go."

With Toph on his back, Sokka strolled out of the earth tent into the sunny morning. His eyes were tired from the night before, the flash of sunlight in his eyes immediately awoke his senses, and Sokka almost unconsciously moved over the hills towards Gaoling.

It was their most silent trip yet. Their walks would usually be filled with so much conversation. It was quieter than it had ever been, and Sokka wondered if it had anything to do with what Toph had said the night before. It worried him, but the prospect of facing Toph's parents seemed to keep Sokka from delving into that concern too heavily.

But before Sokka could touch on the subject once more, he noticed that someone was waiting for the two of them at the gate to Gaoling.

He seemed to be dressed in rich garments and stood only slightly shorter than Sokka. His garments, while embedded with flashy colors and designs, were slightly torn and dirty. He was young, and his eyes bore those of a stuck up arrogant man, the type that believed he could get anything he wanted just on flattery alone.

"The Creeper?" Sokka squinted his eyes to get a better picture of the man's unimpressive facial features.

"Let Toph Bei Fong go!" said The Creeper.

Toph's breath quickened, but her face didn't betray any other signs that she was surprised.

"My name is Gong!" said the man in front of them. He pointed a finger accusingly at Toph. "Let go of Toph Bei Fong."

"Let go of my wife!"

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><p><strong>AN: **I've been busy with college, but I'll try to write the ending by tomorrow. Hope you guys all enjoy.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **And here's the ending! I think overall, this Tokka Week was more for me to let go and just free style a stream of consciousness type of fic. I've noticed that I've written on a few more saddening topics and I wanted to write more on the fun adventures between Toph and Sokka, which came out alright I guess.

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><p><strong>Bruises<strong>

* * *

><p>The first thing that Sokka said was, "Huh?"<p>

The grass glistened in the morning sun, a mix of dew and rainwater beaming in the light. The water from the grass brushed up against Sokka's feet, a wind gently pushing the grass towards the east. A slight shadow was cast over the man in front of Toph and Sokka, poofs of fluffy white clouds blocking out half of the sun. He stood near the bottom of the small slope that Sokka and Toph had used to camp the night before. There was a particular crazed expression on his face, given away by his crooked lips, twitching eyebrows, and uncomfortable laugh.

"You heard me," said The Creeper, apparently calling himself Gong. "Let go of my wife!"

"Toph?" Sokka turned his inquisitive attention to Toph, whose blank stare only told him that she must have been just as surprised as he was. "Is there any particular reason why The Creeper comes out of nowhere and calls you his wife?"

"No particular reason," Toph sighed. She wrapped her arms tightly around Sokka. "Gong, what are you doing here? Go away."

"What are you talking about dear?" said Gong, who chuckled with unfounded joy. "Don't you want to come home? Back to your husband? Come. Leave this man and come with me!"

"This guy has gone absolutely nuts," Toph groaned, shaking her head. "I guess I must have sent his head too hard into that flower pot. Not a good idea Sokka. Just remember that when you're getting pursued by other men for marriage."

"First," Sokka replied. "I don't think I'm going to get other men asking me for marriage. And second, since when have guys been asking you for marriage?"

"Since people realized that I was a fine grown woman," Toph imitated the intonations of those most suited for the upper levels of Ba Sing Se almost perfectly. Sokka couldn't help himself from chuckling.

"Oh that's a good one," Sokka smiled. "For a minute there I thought you were saying that you were a girl."

That earned him a hard pinch on the nose.

"Aren't you guys forgetting someone?" Gong's voice turned more serious, much to the surprise of Toph and Sokka, who turned away from their playful banter to turn their heads to him. His eyes had narrowed, his crooked smile had vanished, and his demeanor had completely changed. "Just who do you think I am?"

"Rich spoiled boy," Toph murmured, reaching into Sokka's pocket for some jerky and popped it into her mouth. "Doesn't know a lick of sensitivity. If I had to lick the dirt of a badgermole's tracks for the rest of my life, I'd probably still be better off than you. At least the dirt is a lot more honest than you are."

"Hey Toph," Sokka whispered. "Don't you think that's a bit too harsh?"

"I'm the son of a proud Earth Kingdom family that has direct ties to the Earth King," Gong fired back fiercely. "What do you know about me? I've been trained in all the arts. I'm a splendid Earthbender. What's wrong with me? Why can't I marry you?"

"Because you're like a trained hog monkey," Toph rolled her eyes and put her chin on top of Sokka's head. "You're nothing but an artificially trained human being who just wants to get in with the Bei Fong fortune. Yeah, I don't know about you, but that's not my job, because I could care less about you. What about me? What do you know about me that makes you want to marry me?"

Gong fell silent for a moment as he tried to think of anything.

"Nothing comes up right?" Toph's eyes gave off a bored glance as she chewed on the jerky. "You can't come up with a single word for me because you don't know me at all. Why would I be interested in anyone but someone who actually knows who I am?"

"But tell you what," Toph sighed. "I'm a little bored today, and I haven't had a good fight in ages. If you can beat my friend here, then I'll consent to the marriage."

Sokka flashed another look at Toph, his eyes wide and his mouth gaping open. Toph stuffed a piece of jerky into his open mouth.

"Toph," Sokka chewed thoughtfully on the jerky, his eyes still fixed on the Blind Bandit. "What are you doing? Let's just reject this guy and get it over with. There's no need to fight."

"Yeah," Toph agreed. "But it's more fun this way."

"Deal," Gong grinned, bringing his hands forward in an Earthbending stance. "Prepare yourself Water Tribe boy. I'll show you how we move the world in the Earth Kingdom."

"Toph," Sokka plead. "I really don't think this is a good idea."

"Nah," Toph shook her head. "I think this is a great idea. It's some good entertainment for the morning before I get home."

"But it's your marriage that you're putting in my hands."

"There's not a lot of choices for marriage," Toph yawned. "I might as well let someone I trust decide for me. If you're stronger than him, I won't take him. But if he's stronger than you, I guess he'll be a better punching bag than you, so I wouldn't mind so much."

"How can you even say that?" Sokka sighed, but drew the spare sword that he had taken with him. A little reluctant smile crept on his face. "Well, I can't say that I want this guy as your husband, and it doesn't look like you're backing down. Guess I'll just have to crush him. Now Toph, get off of me."

"Nope."

"Huh?"

"Gong, you can start the battle now."

It must have all happened in the span of ten seconds. Gong started towards Sokka, firing a trio of rocks as an opening volley. Sokka barely dodged them in time, the weight of Toph on his shoulders slowing him down tremendously.

However, he had leapt a little too far for his own good, and he could feel a pain from his legs telling him that he had stretched too far. The pain ran up his legs, up his spine, and through his arms. Flailing helplessly, Sokka threw his sword high up into the air. As Sokka cried out in the pain, he tripped over another rock, this time hurting his other foot. He slammed into the ground and started tumbling down the slope towards Gong.

Meanwhile, Gong continued his slow advance, raising another boulder to attack. The boulder was a blatant miss as the speed at which Toph and Sokka were rolling down the hill was too fast for Gong's boulder to catch.

It all became a blend of Gong's frenzied battle cry, Sokka's yelps of pain, and the wind that had picked up speed. Sokka continued to roll until he smashed until Gong's legs, tripping him as well. Gong fell onto the floor, his eyes wide open with surprise, before the sword hilt that Sokka had thrown into the air landed on the back of Gong's head. The metal hilt must have dented something because there was a hard clank before Gong's face fell silent in the muddy dirt, unconscious.

Sokka panted after he had stopped rolling for well over a minute. Toph was a little dizzy on his back and was busy trying to reorient herself. Sokka found that there were plenty of bruises on his feet and arms.

"I guess," Sokka continued to breath heavily. "We won?"

Toph looked at him and nodded.

Then, with the biggest grin on her face, Toph stood up.

"Wait," Sokka stopped breathing and took a long look at Toph's legs. "I thought you were…"

"It was fun, it was fun," Toph laughed loudly, ignoring Sokka's comment. "The wind up there was a lot better than I expected, and it was nice having you take care of me the entire way back."

Toph extended her hand, a smile on her face, a rosy blush clearly visible on her cheeks.

"Now it's my turn."

_Fin_.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: If anything, I wrote this only to demonstrate the fun times between the two of them. There was to be no romance, no real goal, a pointless aimless journey filled with the randomness that was the Tokka relationship.

I hope you've liked this piece. It was more of an experimentation to me than it was an attempt to get super into a plot, but I think it turned out alright in the end.


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